Skyrim
by robinnightshade
Summary: Story based on the main questline. My own character but uses game characters. Tweaked the dialogue a bit.
1. Unbound

Unbound

 _I've been captured by the Empire and been sentenced to death alongside_ _Stormcloak_ _rebels. We were being taken to_ _Helgen_ _, but before I could be executed_ _Alduin_ _appeared and attacked the town. I need to find a way out of the town._

I woke up being bounced around on the carriage, and another was ahead. My hands were bound in front of me, and I was dressed in a tunic and leggings, both dirty brown, my feet were wrapped in cloth to protect them.

"Hey you, you're finally awake." A young nord was seated next to me, dressed in quilted cuirass with a strip of blue cloth wrapped around his shoulder and torso and fur boots, like me his hands are bound.

"You were trying to cross the border, right? Walked right into that Imperial ambush, the same as us, and that thief over there."

He nodded to his right and I looked at another young nord, who, like me was dressed in a tunic and leggings, as far as I could see we were the only two who were dressed like that.

"Damn you Stormcloaks." The Nord spat, "Skyrim was fine until you came along. Empire was nice and lazy. If they hadn't been looking for you, I could've stolen that horse and been halfway to Hammerfell. You there..." The Nord focused on me, "You and me, we shouldn't be here. It's these Stormcloaks the Empire wants."

The Stormcloak rebel just sighed, "We're all brothers and sisters in binds now thief."

The soldier driving the carriage snapped, "Shut up back there!"

I took the chance to look around, we were bouncing along a road through a snowy mountain pass. Despite the circumstances it was a beautiful day, though the thief decided to speak again. The man next to me was dressed in fine robes, and unlike us he was gagged as well as bound.

"And what's wrong with him, huh?" The thief asked.

"Watch your tongue." The rebel snapped. "You're speaking to Ulfric Stormcloak, the true High King."

"Ulfric?" The thief asked as Ulfric glared at him, "The Jarl of Windelm? You're the leader of the rebellion. But if they captured you...Oh gods, where are they taking us?" The man asked in fear.

"I don't know where we are going, but Sovngarde awaits." The rebel answered. I felt a quake of fear in my stomach and I raised my hands to my short blonde hair and gripped it.

"No, this can't be happening. This can't be happening." The thief whimpered. I was about to snap at him that clearly it was when the rebel spoke gently to him.

"Hey what village are you from, horse thief?" He asked.

"Why do you care?" The thief asked bitterly.

"A Nord's last thoughts should be of home."

"Rorikstead. I'm...I'm from Rorikstead." The thief answered.

 _Home_ , I tried to think of it, the old trade ship but all I could think of in my mind was the mage-fire and the burning sails.

"General Tullius, sir the headsman is waiting!" The soldier in front called out.

"Good, let's get this over with." A voice called.

We looked over, the carriages had entered a walled town, the gates had swung open to let us in. A old Imperial general was sitting on his horse talking to a group of Altmer in dark robes.

"Shor, Mara, Dibella, Kynareth, Akatosh. Divines, please help me." The thief prayed loudly.

"Look at him, General Tullius, the Military Governor. And it looks like the Thalmor are with him." The rebel said to me angrily, "Damn elves bet they had something to do with this."

But the anger fell out of him as he looked around at where we are.

"This is Helgen." He told me, his voice sad, wistful. "I used to be sweet on a girl from here. Wonder if Vilod is still making that mead with juniper berries mixed in. Funny, when I was a boy, Imperial walls and towers used to make me feel so safe."

People had started to gather around as our carriages were pulled along a main street. I spotted a young boy on a porch to a wooden thatched house.

"Who are they daddy? Where are they going?" He asked curiously.

"You need to go inside, little cub." His father answered. A Nord in hide and leather armour.

"Why?" The boy protested. "I want to watch the soldiers."

"Inside the house. Now." The father said sternly.

"Yes, papa." The boy said meekly as he got off the porch.

The carriages thudded next to a stone tower.

"Get those prisoners out of the carts. Move it!" A captain ordered.

"Why are we stopping?" The thief asked fearfully.

"Why do you think." The rebel said sarcastically, "End of the line." He turned to me.

"Let's go. Shouldn't keep the gods waiting for us."

"No! Wait! We're not rebels!" The thief protested indicating me as well. But I could see that the soldiers were paying him no mind as the two of us jumped down from the carriage.

"Face your death with some courage, thief." The rebel said dismissively as he join me on the ground.

The thief rounded on him, "You've got to tell them! We weren't with you!" This is a mistake!"

The captain called out, "Step towards the block when we call your name. One at a time!"

"The empire loves their damn lists." The rebel snorted.

Another Nord spoke up reading from a scroll. "Ulfric Stormcloak Jarl of Windhelm."

"It has been an honour Jarl Ulfric." The rebel said as his leader moved away. At the second carriage I could see the same thing happening. Rebels moving as their names were called out.

"Ralof of Riverwood." And the rebel who spoke to me moved off. "Lokir of Rorikstead."

"No, I'm not a rebel. You can't do this!" Lokir the thief yelled, and runs.

"Halt!" The captain called out, but Lokir was getting further away, and had now reached the inn.

" _If he was smart,"_ I thought, " _he would duck inside the building, or behind it."_ But he wasn't.

"You're not going to kill me!" Lokir called out, but he was wrong.

"Archers!" The captain called out, and they quickly snapped to attention and took aim. I looked away as they took aim. I heard Lokir cry out in pain.

"Does anyone else feel like running!" The captain, and now that I could see her I realised she was a young Redguard.

"Wait." The Nord imperial soldier called out, he was looking at me. "You there step forward."

As I did so, I could feel him scrutinise me, "who are you?"

"Luna." I answered. The nord soldier glanced down at his list.

"You from Daggerfall, Breton? Fleeing from some court intrigue?" I glared as he made assumption of my past. "Captain what should we do? She's not on the list."

"Forget the list. She goes to the block." The captain said dismissively. I started to feel all the hope of life draining out of me.

"By your orders captain." The soldier said sadly before looking me in the eye. "I'm sorry, I'll make sure your remains are returned to High Rock."

"I have no family there." I said, and walked to the block.

General Tullius was standing in front of Ulfric. "Ulfric Stormcloak, some here in Helgen call you a hero, but a hero doesn't use a power like the Voice to murder his High King and usurp the throne." Ulfric grunted angrily in response.

"You started this war!" Tullius said, "But now the Empire is going to put you down and restore the peace."

Suddenly a roar echoed throughout the valley. The soldiers and prisoners all looked around.

"What was that?" The soldier who read out my group's list asked.

"It's nothing." Tullius said, then turned to his captain, "Carry on."

"Yes, General Tullius." She said, then turned to a Priestess of Arkay. "Give them their last rites."

"As we commend your souls to Aetherius, blessings of the Eight Divines upon you." The Priestess intoned, "for you are the salt and earth of Nirn."

"For the love of Talos, shut up and get this over with!" A Stormcloak rebel snapped as he marched forwards.

"As you wish." The priestess said coldly as she lowered her hands.

"Come on, I haven't got all morning." The captain forced the rebel to his knees and, placing her foot on his back, forced him to bend over the execution block.

"My ancestors are smiling at me Imperials! Can you say the same!" The headsman stepped forwards and swung his axe.

"You Imperial bastards!" A Stormcloak rebel screamed. I stared at the body as the captain kicked his body over, I heard the townspeople scream, "Justice! Death to the Stormcloaks!" Next to me Ralof muttered, "as fearless in death as he was in life."

"Next! The Breton!" The captain ordered, and another roar echoed through the valley.

"There it is again." The soldier with the list said, "did you hear that."

But the captain just snapped, "I said next prisoner!"

"The soldier looked at me, "to the block prisoner, nice and easy."

My body moved of its own accord, walking towards the block. I felt the captain force me to my knees. I stared at the head in the basket as the captain placed her foot on my back, forcing me to bend over.

 _Mama, Papa,_ I thought, _I'll see you soon._ I watched as the headsman raised his axe, about to bring it down on my neck.

A roar echoed through the valley again, but this time mixed with a screams as something swooped out of the sky, and a dragon, black as midnight, swooped out of the sky and landed on the tower.

"Dragon!" Someone called out, and the dragon roared, sending a shockwave that sent the headsman stumbling and the sky started to swirl, and rocks started to fall from the sky.

I stumbled to my knees, the world hazy.

"Hey, Breton!" Ralof called out as Tullius ordered the guards to save the townspeople, "Get up, the gods won't give us another chance."

I got up, my hands still bound, and ran towards a tower with Ralof. Inside was Ulfric Stormcloak, along with three of his rebels, two were seriously wounded, and the third was bandaging their burns, and cuts.

Me, Ralof and Ulfric, stood by the windows, watching as rocks and fire fell, hitting nearby buildings.

"Jarl Ulfric what is that thing?" Ralof asked Ulfric, "could the legends be true?"

"Legends don't burn down villages." Ulfric said, his voice was deep and resonant. The tower began to shake, "We need to move now!"

"Up through the tower!" Ralof ordered us, and led the way up, Ulfric and I waited a minute with the Stormcloak tending the wounded.

"They're badly hurt, but they'll live," He told us, as he and Ulfric lifted them to their feet, and followed me up the tower. Another soldier was at the next level, the ceiling had partially collapsed, blocking the stairs.

"We just need to move these rocks to clear the way," He said as he saw us. But then suddenly the dragon had rammed into the tower, and his head burst into the tower.

"Yol Toor Shul!" He roared, and I could make out the words, as he breathed out a jet of flame. The soldier in front of me was dead, burned alive and the rest of us took cover in the stairwell.

The dragon took off, and Ralof walked over to the hole in the wall, and waved me towards it.

"See the inn on the other side," He pointed to an inn below the tower, which had a partially collapsed roof, and the edge was starting to burn. "Jump through the roof and get going."

I walked to the edge and hesitated. "Go! We'll follow when we can!"

I jumped and hit the edge of the roof, I landed awkwardly, skinning my shins as I fell to my knees. Hands still bound I got to my feet, the stairs were gone, so I dropped through another hole to the ground beside the inn.

"Haeming!" An imperial soldier called out, "Get over here!" I realised it was the same soldier who read out the names, and he was calling out to the boy who watched the carriages, he was standing over his father, who was lying in a pool of blood.

"Now, Torolf!" The soldier cried out, but the dragon landed, and breathed fire again, "God, everyone get back!"

Turning around the soldier spotted me, "Still alive, prisoner?" Then he turned away, "Stay close to me if you want to stay that way. He turned to an old warrior, "Gundar take care of the boy, I'm going to join General Tullius and join the defense."

"Gods guide you Hadvar." Gundar said as he scooped up the frightened boy. Hadvar got up and ran through the burning town, me at his heels, he ran close to the wall.

"Stay close to the wall!" He shouted as the dragon landed above us, breathing fire. We crouched just underneath him, unnoticed.

"Let's go!" He shouted as soon as the dragon flew away, swooping over the town. We ran past the dead and dying, Tullius was nearby, sword drawn.

"Hadvar!" He shouted, "Into the keep soldier! We're leaving!"

"It's you and me prisoner!" He shouted to me, "Stay close!" Then Ralof appeared. "Ralof you damn traitor! Out of my way!" He shouted at the Stormcloak.

"We're escaping Hadvar!" Ralof shouted, "You're not stopping us this time!"

I followed Ralof into the keep as I did so I heard the Dragon call out "Hin sil fen nahkip bahloki." Scared I looked up as he swooped over the town. _Your soul shall feed my hunger_ but how could I know that?

We were in a round room, both sides blocked by gates. Near a table was a dead Stormcloak rebel, who evidently had crawled inside just to die of his injuries. Ralof knelt by his body.

"We'll meet again in Sovengarde brother." He said softly, before standing and looking at me, "Come here, so I can get those bindings off." He said pulling a dagger from his belt.

I approached him and he cut my hands free. "You might as well take Gundar's gear." He said, "He won't be needing it any longer."

He moved to examine the doors. I carefully undid the straps of the armor.

"This door is locked," Ralof said, but as he approached the second door, an imperial captain, the same one who passed my sentence, followed by a squad of soldiers, Hadvar among them.

"Stormcloak traitors!" The captain snarled reaching for her sword.

"No!" I shouted at the same time as Hadvar, I concentrated on my Magicka and summoned my familiar, a spectral wolf, who appeared snarling, and bit the captain's sword arm, shaking her, before I snapped my fingers.

"Have you lost your minds!" I snapped, "A dragon has swooped down and is intent on sending us to the grave already! Do you really want to help him out!"

"She's right," Hadvar said, "We can always settle this another day. Besides, she at least shouldn't have been executed, so we can give them a day's head start?"

"All right." The captain relented, "But not a day, they have till we get out of the keep. Both of them." Hadvar glared at the captain, not happy with the deal, me and Ralof glanced at each other. At the very least, we'll have to get make sure that the captain was not with us when we left the keep.

The captain led the way to the gate and unlocked it. As we headed down the stairs, Ralof whispered to me. "When do you want to kill them?"

"Not yet, there could be more Imperials in the fort." I told him quietly. "Who might not be happy with the captain trying to kill us now, or more stormcloaks."

Ralof grunted, suddenly as the captain walked along the corridor, it began to shake, and I pulled Ralof and Hadvar away, as with a roar, the corridor collapsed, crushing the captain underneath.

"Damn, that dragon doesn't give up easy." Ralof said, getting to his feet.

"Thank you." Hadvar said, then looked at his captain. "Yuma shouldn't have ordered your execution. I'm sorry."

"That's okay, just try not to kill each other once we're outta here." I said easily as I helped him to his feet.

We met a few stormcloaks, a man with dark hair and blond woman in the storeroom. They probably would have killed Hadvar but Ralof told them of the truce. I found a knapsack and stashed what little food the stormcloaks had left plus a healing potion, a stamina potion and magicka potion in a barrel. As we went further down the stairs I heard the sounds of more blades crashing, along with two guttural cries.

"The torture room, gods." Ralof muttered and Hadvar looked sickened. Inside was another stormcloak, a tall, even for a nord, blonde man with a huge axe. Around him were bodies, two more stormcloaks and two men in hooded imperial armor. The man advanced on Hadvar but I stepped in front of him, holding a flaming hand.

"Back off, until we leave this keep alive we're not killing each other." I said quietly. The man looked at my hands with fear and disgust, but he lowered his axe.

"Bretons and Imperials huh?" The woman said scornfully. I glared at her and she looked away, despite me being small, even for a Breton.

"Hadvar's a Nord Ingrid." Ralof said as he inspected the cages. "Hey there's something in this one, is there a key?"

"Was Jarl Ulfric with you?" Ralof asked the newest Stormcloak. Glaring at me he turned his gaze to Ralof.

"No, haven't seen him since the Dragon showed up."

I found a knapsack with a few lockpicks and opened the door. Inside was a man dressed in a mage's robe with two small blue bottles of magicka potion and a spellbook with some gold coins. Ralof scooped out the coins and I took the spellbook, potions and the man's clothes. Only Hadvar was there to see that.

"Armor's uncomfortable." I said, by way of explanation. It was true, the armor was several sizes too big.

"Stormcloak armor was built for Nords, no-one else." He said and we left chasing after the others, through a line of cells.

Hadvar stopped at the entrance to a cavern I looked around him and saw why. A group of Stormcloaks were arranged around us in loose semicircle, with their weapons drawn.

"Have you all lost your minds?" Hadvar said quietly, "There's a Dragon trying to bring this keep down on our heads!"

"All the more reason to get rid of the enemies of Skyrim!" A woman snapped.

"She isn't our enemy!" Ralof pointed at me as I glared at them all.

"She's a Breton, she'll grow up a damn Mage and get chummy with the elves." Another spat contemptuously. Angered I summoned my familiar and as it snarled and snapped I drew the knife I got from the torture chamber and summoned a Flame to my hand.

"Back off!" I shouted as I shot flames at their feet. They did so and Hadvar ran for the exit, with me at his heels, shooting flames at them all the while to stop them from following.

As soon as we crossed a bridge the Dragon roared and some of the masonry collapsed, shattering it.

"Well there's no going back that way." Hadvar said, "Those guys best hope there's another way out." I was still shaking with anger but followed Hadvar further into the cavern. Here it was clearly not meant to be used as part of the Keep, as it was still essentially a natural cave. We followed the stream downwards and then a tunnel to the left. Cobwebs started to appear in thick clumps.

In another cavern I found out why there was such big clumps of cobwebs. Frostbite spiders, at least as big as a man had made their home there. They lunged at us spitting and biting. Hadvar swung his sword, as I shot flames and stabbed at one who came too close.

"What's next giant snakes?" Hadvar asked as he cleaned his sword.

"I bloody well hope not." I answered as I started filling some empty phials I found in my bag with Frostbite Venom, I also found spider eggs, I knew from past training were poisonous.

Fortunately that was the only cave that the spiders made their home. Unfortunately that was because in the next cave along, a bear had made her home.

"I'd rather not tangle with her right now." Hadvar whispered, "but if you think you can, here. I'll follow your lead." He handed me his bow and a quiver full of arrows. I shook my head and crept quietly along the cave keeping out of sight of the bear. There was another tunnel just ahead and I slipped around towards it, Hadvar on my heels.

The tunnel slopped up and a triangle of bright white light shone through, Hadvar rushed ahead.

"This looks like the way out!" He said happily, "I'd didn't think we'd make it."

We ran out into the cold Skyrim air.

 _I have escaped both my execution and a dragon attack at Helgen. I now have my freedom to do as I see fit in Skyrim_


	2. Before the Storm

_Hadvar suggested that I head to the nearby town of Riverwood. His uncle is a blacksmith there and should be able to help me_

I stood blinking in the sunlight, when suddenly a roar filled the air.

"Wait!" Hadvar hissed as he crouched behind a rock. I crouched next to him as the Dragon flew off, north-west.

"Looks like he's gone for good this time." Hadvar said quietly, "But I don't think we should stick around to see if he comes back." He waved me over as he started to walk down a trail.

"The nearest town from here is Riverwood, my uncle's the blacksmith there. I'm sure he'd help you out." I followed him along, slipping and sliding in my borrowed armour.

"You know, you should go to Solitude and join the Legion." He said as he looked back at me. "We could really use someone like you, and if the Stormcloaks have found a dragon. General Tullius will need all the help he can get."

I frowned, "The Empire ordered my execution, and now you want me to help?"

"You have every right to be angry, I would be in your shoes." Hadvar said, "But if the Stormcloaks had found a Dragon and woke it up. The war could get even worse."

We came round a bend in the road. Across the river, there was a mountain and on it clearly visible was a dark ruin, stark black against the snow. On our side there were three standing stones, inscribed with a star sign; The Thief, The Mage and The Warrior. I touched the Thief stone and a bolt of light lit up the sky.

"Thief, huh, well it's never too late to change your fate." Hadvar said, but I ignored him.

"What's that?" I asked, pointing.

"Bleak Falls Barrow." Hadvar said, "hate that place. Used to give me nightmares as a kid, draugr creeping down the mountain and into my bedroom, that sort of thing."

The path swung down to the mountain side to the river. I fell at its shores and scooped up water into my mouth.

"Thirsty?" Hadvar asked and I nodded. "You must be hungry as well." I looked at my reflection in the pond, a pale small girl, with red eyes, blonde hair, elfin ears and a large claw marks, still red against my skin, marred my cheek. I shuddered as I thought of the creature that gave me that.

"Yeah, I'm starving." I said as I got up. We followed the river north, and as we rounded a bend I spotted a village. At each end of the road through it there was a wall with a walkway on top, though it was unmanned. The river ran right next to it, and a lumber mill was on a small island next to it, connected to the main village by a simple bridge next to a hut with a sheltered blacksmith forge.

I stuck close to Hadvar because of my ill-fitting stormcloak armor, I feared that any Imperial soldiers might mistake me for a stormcloak.

"Uncle Alvor, hello." Hadvar called out to a Nord, who looked like an older version of him, with lighter blonde hair, like honey, who was busy at a forge hammering what looked like a sword.

"Hadvar?" He said as he turned around and placed the half-finished sword in a water trough, "Are you on leave from..." He broke off as he turned around and saw the two of us, covered in dirt and stone dust, blood (some our own, some definitely not).

"Shor's bones boy," He cursed as he looked at us, "what happened to you boy? Are you in some kind of trouble?"

"Shh, Uncle," Hadvar hushed looking around, as an old woman stared at us. "I'm fine but we should go inside to talk."

"What's going on?" Alvor asked again as he stared at me curiously, "And who's this?"

Hadvar put a hand on my shoulder, reassuringly. "She's a friend, saved my life in fact." He said proudly, and I looked at him, shocked at the praise in his voice, before he turned serious, "Come on, I'll explain everything but we need to go inside." Alvor nodded, resigned, but curious.

"C'mon then Sigrid will get you both something to eat." He said and pulled a rope release a bucket of water to cool the forge.

He walked out to the porch and round to the house next to the forge. As he opened the door I heard the old woman call out "Dragon, I saw a dragon, it flew over the barrow!" I ducked inside.

"Sigrid, we have company!" Alvor called out as he entered the house. I looked around cautiously. It was set up like the houses in Bruma, with a single room with a fireplace opposite the only door, with a cookpot set over it, a table in front of that fire, and a bed and end table next to it. Like most homes in Bruma it had a basement, accessed by a flight of stairs next to the table.

I stood by the fire behind Hadvar, who sat opposite his uncle.

"Now then boy," Alvor said kindly, "What's the big mystery? What are you doing here, looking like you lost an argument with a cave bear?"

"I don't know where to start." Hadvar said, "you know I was assigned to General Tullius's guard, we were stopped in Helgen when we were attacked," Hadvar paused for a moment, "a dragon?"

Alvor laughed hesitantly, before realising that we weren't joking. "A dragon, that's ridiculous, you aren't drunk, are you boy?"

Sigrid admonished him from by the stairs, "Husband, let him tell his story."

"Not much more to tell," Hadvar said wearily, "The Dragon flew over the town and wrecked the whole place. Mass confusion. I don't know if anyone else made it out alive. I know I wouldn't have if it wasn't for Luna." The others looked at me, and I nearly forgotten that I told Hadvar my name when we arrived in Helgen. "I was hoping you could help us, food, supplies, a place to stay."

"Of course, any friend of Hadvar's is a friend of mine." Alvor said, he got up and walked up to me by the fire.

"But I need your help. We need your help." Alvor said, "Help yourself to whatever you need, within reason. But the Jarl need to know that there is a dragon on the loose. Riverwood is defenceless. We need to get word to Jarl Balgruuf to send whatever soldiers he can. If you do that for me, I'll be in your debt."

I took some bread and cheese from the table. "How do I get to Whiterun from here?"

"Cross the river then head north, you should see it just pass the falls." Alvor told me, "Once you're in Whiterun, keep going up. Once at the top of the hill, you're at the Jarl's palace, Dragonsreach." I nodded trying to keep the instructions straight in my head.

I left the house and looked up at the sky. I always had a good sense of time, and knew that it was a little past 3 in the afternoon.

I ran out of Riverwood, heading north, I spotted the bridge that Alvor told me about and crossed the river. The path snaked down hill and I was wary of meeting other travellers. So I headed off the path and dropped straight down the hill in a series of jumps. On one I tumbled skinning my knee and spraining my ankle so I was forced to heal myself.

I saw that the path would have snaked down hill in a series of twists and turns before turning east and running past a pair of buildings, before swing up another hill to Whiterun, the entire city was built on that hill, in a series of tiers, and I could see a castle at the top. I ran across the hilled plain to rejoin the path.

At a farm I saw a giant running rampant at a farm and a trio of warriors encircling them.

I swung my bow off my shoulder and drew an arrow, sending it at the giant's body. I spotted another archer turn to look at me.

I ducked behind a building. I was still wearing the outsized stormcloak armor and instead changed into the mage's robes I took in Helgen. They were surprisingly clean and fit better than the armor. It was more complex clothing than what I saw mages wear in Cyrodil. It was a long teal tunic, with a brown leggings, and a mantel with a sash and hood. I was just wrapping the bandages over my arms when the archer rounded the corner. She was wearing a strange leather dress, with pauldrons and gauntlets. Her face was streaked with war-paint and her red hair was tied back.

"Here, your arrow." She said. I jumped and pulled my hood over my face.

"Thanks," I muttered.

"You handled yourself well," She told me, "You'd make a decent Shield-Sister."

"Shield-sister?" I asked, unfamiliar with the term.

"An outsider, eh?" She asked and I nodded, "Never heard of the Companions?"

"No."

"We're brothers and sisters in honor, and we show up to solve problems if the coin is good enough." She told me proudly.

"You wouldn't want me in your group." I told her curtly and walked round the back of the farm. I could see that the giant had died due to multiple wounds, so my arrow didn't make much of a difference. I spotted a stable, with a man sitting on a carriage.

"Need a ride?" He asked, looking me up and down.

"Anything you can tell me about Whiterun?" I asked as I kept my head down. Better that he think I'm some-kind of barefoot mage.

"Well I know the Companions make their home here." He told me cheerfully, "Their mead hall Jorrvaskar is the oldest building in the city. There's also a nasty feud between two old families, the Grey-Manes and the Battle-Borns. The rest you can find out by asking the people. Go upto the Bannered Mare or the castle steward." I nodded and thanked him. At least there wasn't rumors about the Imperial army in the city yet. I walked up through the archway and around up to the main gates. Most of the guards seemed to be on high alert.

One walked away from his post to stop me.

"Halt," He commanded, "City's closed with the dragon about. Official business only."

"I have news from Helgen about the dragon attack." I replied, bluffing slightly.

The guard seemed to consider my response. At least I assumed so, with his helmet I couldn't see his face. His armor was identical to what the stormcloaks wore, except his sash was bright yellow.

"Fine, but we'll keep an eye on you." He said suspiciously. He and his friend pushed the gate open slightly.

I walked over a small bridge into the city. At a smith just inside the wall, a man in imperial armor was arguing with a smith. Trying to get her to make swords for the legion. I walked quietly past him and up the steps to the left. I kept running through Alvor's instructions. I was in a residential area and heard a Redguard woman argue with her husband. I walked towards a giant dead tree, and heard a priest, preaching about Talos.

I looked around and spotted more steps going up first to a pool, that was fed by water falls on either side another set of stone steps, towards Dragonsreach. I ran up them and then over a wooden bridge towards the palace doors.

The interior of Dragonsreach was huge. A set of stairs lead up to the main hall. At the far end of the room, sitting on a throne underneath a skull of a huge creature, sat the Jarl. He seemed to be arguing with his advisers. One of them, a Dark Elf woman, wearing leather armor drew a sword and came up to me. I drew a knife and summoned a Flame into my hand.

"What is the meaning of this?" She demanded, "Jarl Balgruuf is not receiving visitors."

"Alvor sent me, Riverwood is in danger." I answered but the Dark Elf still didn't lower her sword.

"As housecarl, my job is to deal with dangers to the Jarl or his people." She said, "So you have my attention now explain yourself."

"A dragon has destroyed Helgen." I said as I lowered my hands, and the Dark Elf looked shocked.

"You know about Helgen," She said, "The Jarl will want to speak to you personally. Approach." She sheathed her sword and walked back up to the throne.

I edged around the fire in the middle of the hall and followed her up. Jarl Balgruuf lounged in an ornate throne.

"So you've survived Helgen." The Jarl asked skeptically, "you saw this dragon with your own eyes?"

"Yes." I said brashly, "I've had a great view whilst the Imperials were trying to chop of my head." The Dark Elf and the Imperial man looked at each other.

"Really," Jarl Balgruuf said, "Well, you're certainly, forthright, about your criminal past." He paused, before continuing, "But it's none of my business who the Imperials want to execute especially now. What I want to know is what happened at Helgen."

"The dragon attacked the town, and destroyed it." I answered more calmly. "Last I saw it was heading in this way."

Jarl Balgruuf turned to the Imperial next to him, "What do you say now, Proventus?" He asked sarcastically, "Should we continue to trust in the strength of our walls? Against a dragon?"

The Dark Elf stepped forwards, "My lord we should send troops to Riverwood at once. It's in the most immediate danger, if that Dragon is lurking in the mountains..."

The Imperial, Proventus interrupted, "The Jarl of Falkreath will take that as a provocation. He'll assume we're preparing to join Ulfric's side and attack him. We should..."

"Enough!" Jarl Balgruuf interrupted before looking at the Dark Elf, "Irileth, send a detachment to Riverwood at once."

Irileth bowed, "Yes my Jarl."

"We should not..." Proventus continued to protest but Jarl Balgruuf glared at him.

"Enough!" He said furiously, "I will not stand by while a dragon burns down my hold, and slaughters my people."

"If you'll excuse me, I'll return to my duties." He said, with an air of submissiveness.

"That would be best." Jarl Balgruuf agreed before turning to me.

"Well done. You sought me out. On your own initiative." He said, I could hear the sincerity to his voice. "You've done Whiterun a service and I won't forget it." He handed be a heavy bag of gold. "Take this as a small token of my esteem." He paused for a moment before rising from his throne. "There is something else you can do for me, suitable for someone of your particular perhaps?" I nodded and we walked down from the dias, "Let's go see Farengar, my court wizard, he has been looking into matters of dragons, and rumors of dragons."

 _Hadvar's uncle Alvor asked me to take word to the Jarl of Whiterun of the dragon attack on Helgen, and to ask the Jarl to send soldiers to protect Riverwood. I delivered the news to Jarl Balgruuf in Whiterun, and he rewarded me for my help._


End file.
